A YOUNG man, alleged to have stabbed his girlfriend's father in his own bedroom, told a jury he acted in self-defence.

Gordon Harding, 20, said he lost control and could not remember inflicting 15 stab wounds on retired antiques dealer Antoni Robinson.

He wanted to look into a safe in his bedroom and took a commando-style knife for confidence and as a deterrent.

But he froze in fear and dropped the knife when Mr Robinson woke up and lunged at him with a kitchen knife.

Harding, his girlfriend Ashleigh Robinson, Sacha Roberts, of Woodland Road West, Colwyn Bay, and a girl of 16 all deny the murder of retired antiques dealer and French polisher Mr Robinson, 61.

Harding had moved into Antoni Robinson's bungalow in Llanelian Road, Old Colwyn with girlfriend Ashleigh Robinson and their baby shortly before Mr Robinson's death.

Harding said when Mr Robinson came in from the pub he argued with Ashleigh, and threatened to kick her out.

“He seemed slurred and drowsy. He appeared to me heavily drunk,” he said.

Ashleigh told him Sacha Roberts and a 16-year-old girl were on their way up.

Asked about a text he had sent to Sacha Roberts saying “He goes tonight, need your backup, ready when you are”, Harding said he wanted to go and see if the safe in Mr Robinson's room contained any letter that could help Ashleigh's mother in her legal battle to move back into the bungalow. He also wanted to see if jewellery, the subject of a family dispute, was in the safe.

He picked up the knife, got about a metre into the room and Toni got out of bed.

Harding said that he froze in fear and dropped the knife to the floor.

He said they struggled and Mr Robinson picked up a kitchen knife.

Harding said he was able to get hold of the handle of the kitchen knife.

“I was trying to get away, get him off,” he said.

“He pulled my left wrist towards him and I cut him to the neck and to the rear of his right hand shoulder.”

He said he had no intention whatsoever to kill him or to cause him serious injury.

Harding said he put his hand to Mr Robinson's throat and it was covered in blood.